Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard continued her promising start to the season with an impressive first-round rout at the Australian Open on Monday, saying she has rediscovered her motivation. The 22-year-old, on the comeback trail after her high-flying career plunged into a tailspin, raced past American Louisa Chirico 6-0, 6-4 to set up a clash with China's Peng Shuai. Now 49 in the world, she reached her first semi-final for 10 months at the Sydney International last week and carried the form to Melbourne Park.
"I've really worked hard in the off-season and found my motivation," she said. "I'm feeling very energetic on court and I really want to keep going."
World number one Angelique Kerber battled past Lesia Tsurenko in a stuttering start to her first Grand Slam title defence at the Australian Open Monday, admitting she made too many mistakes.
The top seed ultimately proved too much for the Ukrainian, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena but the German's laboured victory was far from impressive.
Kerber stunned Serena Williams in the final last year and went on to win the US Open, dethroning the American powerhouse as the world's top ranked player.
She is not only defending a major title for the first time but also playing her maiden Grand Slam as top seed, admitting ahead of the tournament that she was carrying the burden of expectation.
The 20-year-old finally managed to get on the scoreboard by holding serve to go 1-0 up in the second set as she successfully avoided the dreaded 6-0, 6-0 'double bagel'.
Bouchard turned the screw to go 4-1 ahead.
Collated results from the Australian Open on Monday:
Men's singles (1st round):
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 4-0 ret; Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Luca Vanni (ITA) 6-1 ret; Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3; Alex De Minaur (AUS) bt Gerald Melzer (AUT) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1; Sam Querrey (USA x31) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4; Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2; Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4; Victor Estrella (DOM) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 0-6, 6-3; Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3; John Isner (USA x19) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1; Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x22) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0; Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3; Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Noah Rubin (USA) bt Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Albert Ramos (ESP x26) 4-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0; Steve Johnson (USA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4; Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5; Nick Kyrgios (AUS x14) bt Gastão Elias (POR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2; Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3; Jack Sock (USA x23) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3; Dan Evans (GBR) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-1; Roger Federer (SUI x17) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Stan Wawrinka (SUI x4) bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Women's singles (1st round):
Irina Begu (ROM x27) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; Garbine Muguruza (ESP x7) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 6-4; Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Simona Halep (ROM x4) 6-3, 6-1; Mona Barthel (GER) bt Destanee Aiava (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4); Monica Puig (PUR x29) bt Patricia Tig (ROM) 6-0, 6-1; Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Kiki Bertens (NED x19) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5); Duan Yingying (CHN) bt Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4; Julia Goerges (GER) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Laura Siegemund (GER x26) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4; Alison Riske (USA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-3; Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Irina Khromacheva (RUS) 6-2, 6-1; Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x32) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-4 ret; Kristina Kucova (SVK) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0; Venus Williams (USA x13) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5; Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 6-2; Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-4, 6-3; Zhang Shuai (CHN x20) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-0, 6-3; Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5, 7-5; Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x15) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3); Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-4, 7-5; Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (UKR x11) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-0, 6-2; Julia Boserup (USA) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-2, 6-4; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2); Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-0, 6-1; Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2; Carina Witthoeft (GER) bt Eri Hozumi (JPN) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6); Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x23) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5); Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-2; Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-0, 6-4.
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